Can hanger



March 3l, 1959 5J. CARROLL CAN HANGER Filed June 2, 1954 INVENTOR EARLd. C/M0 l.

ATTO R N EY5 2,819,966 CAN HANGER Earl I. Carroll, Tarrytown, NX.Application :une z, 19s4,ser1n`Np.4s4,qo1 j 1 claim. (ci. 248;-3'11)This invention relates to a hanger for removably supporting cans of thetype widely used for canning beer, fruit juices, vegetables and otherfood products.

The hanger in which the present invention is embodied is adapted to besecured to a wall or other supporting surface and provides anunobtrusive and convenient means by which such containers can besupported securely but from which the containers can be removed readilywhen desired.

Various types of supports for such cans have been devised and some ofthe many forms have found commercial application. However, these earliersupports have had shortcomings that limited their use. For example, someof the supports have been too large in that they require excessive wallspace or protrude too far into the room. Other types require too muchmanipulation to secure the cans in position or to release them. Some ofthe supports are not reliable enough and do not hold the cans firmlyenough. Moreover, some of the proposed arrangements are so expensivethey cannot be used for many applications requiring low cost hangers.

The present invention is described as embodied in a hanger not muchlarger in area than a postage stamp and which may project from thesupporting surface no more than one-eighth or three-sixteenths of aninch. Such a hanger provides a secure support for ordinary size beer andfood cans and the cans can be placed in or lifted out of the hangerquickly and easily. In addition the hanger is simple in construction andcan be readily manufactured by inexpensive high-speed operations so thatthe cost of the hanger is low enough that it can be used in the greatestnumber of different applications.

Such hangers are useful, for example, for holding tins of food, oil,beer and other products for display purposes; for storage in the home bymaking use of wall space that would otherwise be wasted; and forsupporting cans in vehicles such as cars, trailers, boats, etc. In suchapplications each can is visible so that any container can` be selectedreadily from an assortment.

Hangers embodying the present invention are particularly useful inapplications where it is important that the cans be held securely yetinstantly releasable without the application of significant force. Forexample, fireextinguishing products are sometimes packaged in canshaving an exterior chime at one end. Such fire extinguishers areadvantageously supported by hangers embodying the present invention sothat they are in no dan' ger of being dislodged accidentally yet areready for instant use in any emergency.

The construction of a simple and inexpensive can hanger embodying theinvention will be made clear from the following description consideredin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a can supported by a hangerembodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the hanger shown in Figure1; and

2,879,956 j Patnted Mar.v 31, 1959 Figure 3 is an enlarged partialsectional view taken vertically through the center of the hanger..

As best shown in Figure 2, the hanger is formed from a single sheet ofmetal, such as aluminum or steel, and has a planar base or supportingportion 2 from which extend two side flanges 4 and 6 formed by bendingthe side edge portions of the base 2 forwardly at' right angles to theplane of the base.

A top flange -8 is formed by bending the upper edge of the base 2forwardly and supports a narrower downwardly-extending lip 10 thatengages the inner surface of the chime or rim of the can that isto besupported.

Two chime-receiving notches 12 and 14 are formed in the upper forwardedges of the side flanges 4 and 6 adjacent the top flange 8. The cornersof these notches, indicated respectively at 12a and 14a, are smoothlyrounded so that the surfaces of the notches will conform nicely to theouter surface of the chime on the conventional can. yThe outer edges ofthe top flange 8 preferably project slightly over the upper ends of thenotches 12 and 14 but this is not essential to the construction. Inorder to allow for the curvature of the rim 22, the width of the flange8 is reduced on either side of the lip 10, as indicated at 15. The base2 has a key-hole shaped opening 16 so that the hanger can be securedconveniently to a wall or other supporting surface, for example, by ascrew 18.

In use, after the hanger is fastened to a wall or other support, a can20 is positioned as shown in Figure 1 with its upper rim 22 extendingthrough the notches 12 and 14 and behind the lip 10. The outer edges ofthe side flanges 4 and 6 engage the outer surface of the can 20 belowthe rim 22.

The can 20 is positioned in the hanger by tilting the can forwardly, asindicated by the broken line 20a in Figure 3, and inserting the rim 22under the lip 10.. The can is then straightened up to the position shownin Figure l where it is securely supported by the hanger. To remove thecan, the lower part of the can is pulled outwardly until the lower edgeof the rim 22 is free of the notches 12 and 14.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the can hangerembodying this invention is well adapted to fulfill the ends and objectsset forth above and that it can be manufactured in quantity byconventional construction techniques at a cost so low that it has thewidest.`

possible application.

lt will be clear that various modifications can be made in theconstruction set forth herein to enable the invention to be best adaptedto each particular use or circumstance of construction. For example,although metal construction has been illustrated, the hanger can beformed of plastic or other material so long as the material can bereadily fabricated and has the necessary strength.

I claim:

A metal bracket for attachment to an upright surface for removablysupporting, in a position substantially parallel to such surface, a canof the type having an outwardly protruding chime extending along one endof a side wall; said bracket including an upwardly extendingsubstantially flat base constructed for securement to the uprightsurface and having upwardly extending side flanges projecting forwardlyfrom its side edges, and substantially coextensive with the side edgesand substantially normal to the base; the outer edges of said flangesbeing substantially parallel to said base', said flanges havingforwardly and upwardly opening notches at the upper ends of their outeredges, the depth of said notches laterally of the anges beingsubstantially less than the width of said flanges; and a retaining lipof substantial lateral extent extending forwardly from the upper edge ofsaid base a distance of the order of the width of said anges and thendownwardly toward the plane of the bottom edges of said notches andterminating short of such plane; said lip being adapted to extend overthe chime of a can when supported in said notches and to engagesubstantially widely circumferentially spaced portions of the innersurface of the chime of a can so supported to restrict movement thereofout of said notches; the side wall of a can, when a can is supported insaid notches, engaging the entire length of the outer edges of saidflanges, to inhibit oscillation of the can so supported, and the bracketbeing adapted to support a can entirely outwardly of the outer surfaceof said base; the lower edge of said lip,

due to its substantial length, limiting the oscillation of a 15References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 889,962Peschel June 9, 1908 1,227,165 Marin May 22, 1917 2,387,982 Demuth uOct. 30, 1945 2,598,479 Wraith...4 May 27, 1952 10 2,711,873 Larin June28, 1955 l 5 'FOREIGN PATENTS 71,960 Denmark of 1950 821,009 Germany of1951 854,078 Germany of 1952

